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Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Coast to Coast in memory of a Special Friend and Son

Over three years ago I came face to face with a big, gentle smile when I met Jon at a Brain Tumour Support Meeting. Jon aspired to
travel to the most northerly, southerly, easterly and westerly points in the UK.
He managed a trip towards the east but was too ill to travel any further.In September last year my cousin Tim and a team of cyclists secured Jon's photo to the front of his bike and took him from Lands end to John
O’Groats raising money for The Get Ahead and The Brain Tumour Charities. This June Jon’s parents Jacky and Roy undertook a Thousand Mile Coast to
Coast Commemorative Caravan Journey and Expedition - Remembering Jon two years
on. Jacky shares her memories of this momentous journey:“Never before have I worn the same
tee-shirt for so long!

We planned to take our Jon on a
journey right across the country, carrying him in our hearts, and his photos on
our windows, fulfilling an ambition that he was unable to realise. We told his
story at every stop, and promoted the work of ‘The Brain Tumour Charity’ from Lowestoft, the Eastern most point of the UK, to St. David’s in West Wales.

Roy and I pulled on the ‘Brain Tumour
Charity bright red tees as we approached each caravan site. We were ‘The
Charity people’. If any doubt remained we soon put paid to that as we decorated
our caravan with banners, balloons and bunting!

At the start we released 26 red
balloons which were carried off by a brisk southerly wind at Ness Point. This marked the start of our adventure, the first emotional moment of many along our
way.

People, seeing our posters, came to
share their stories of loss; a grandchild, a mother, a son in law, a sister.
People touched by love and loss. We felt humbled to be invited into their
sorrow, and honoured to be able to tell of our precious boy.

The donations amazed us. Even during
the evening people knocked on our caravan door with money; generous, warm
people, yet total strangers, dipping deep in pockets to fill our collecting
box.

But some people averted their eyes,
looked to the ground, not wanting to get involved with ‘The Charity people’

We arrived at our final destination of
St. David’s to a wonderful welcome. A collecting jar, and cut -out from the ‘Caravan
Club’ magazine was already in place on the counter. We received a warm, sunny
reception, despite our weariness after 1000 miles. We are proud to have
achieved our objective-for Jon.

We were delighted to be able to send
over £1200 to the Brain Tumour Charity, where we have set up a fund in Jon’s
name”:

About Me

Hello welcome to my blog. Before 2008 I enjoyed a 30 year career in nursing but then I was challenged with a brain tumour and almost everything changed...2014 started with a new challenge of breast cancer. - despite these my sense of humour and the ability to support others remain intact! I now take the gift of each day as it comes.